


Simple Gifts

by littlelamplight



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-23 10:50:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17078933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlelamplight/pseuds/littlelamplight
Summary: It starts with flowers.In which Astra starts to give Alex gifts, Alex gives them back, and there's a lot more going on than she thinks.





	Simple Gifts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whoeverdares](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whoeverdares/gifts).



It starts with flowers. 

It's not unusual, really. Astra is as fascinated by Earth's foliage as Kara was when she first landed, and since switching sides, she's had a lot more time to indulge in her curiosities. They've spent countless dates in gardens and parks, sometimes just browsing flower shops, and their apartment frequently smells like some flower or another. Astra simply likes to give her flowers, and Alex, despite how much she teased Astra about being a romantic at first, honestly likes receiving them. 

So the bouquet of flowers that appears on her desk after lunch doesn't really give her pause. They're pretty, colourful flowers that she honestly doesn't know the name of, wrapped carefully in brown paper, of course. Alex has never met anyone more dedicated to recycling than Astra. 

So there wasn't anything unusual about it, or how Astra smiled when she thanked her. Looking back, there really wasn't anything to tell her what was really going on, and she couldn't be blamed for being ignorant. 

Except a week later, a small, wooden box appears on her desk, carved with kryptonian designs. Alex looks up from her paperwork to find it there, and blinks. It's not unusual for Astra to drop things into her office - her favourite treats or coffee, or just a healthy lunch incase she forgets to eat - but she usually stays for a kiss in return. 

Alex puts her paperwork down, and pulls the small box towards her. It's made of solid, warm wood, and the clasp is surprisingly delicate. Frowning slightly, Alex flips the lid open, and stares. A small knife lies nestled in black cloth. It's about the length of her handspan, oddly delicate for a blade, and carved into the hilt is a flower. 

Alex stares at it. It's gorgeous, which is a strange thing to think about a knife, but it really is very pretty. She picks it up, weighing it in her hand, and glances up at the dart board hanging on the wall opposite her desk, that Astra had put there less than a week ago. She must've been planning ahead. 

Alex stands, levels her arm, and throws it. It lands point first in the centre of the target, and Alex grins. 'Nice'. 

'So you like it?'

Alex leans back, unsurprised when her back comes to rest against Astra's chest, and says, 'love it. It's a really nice knife'. 

Astra wraps her arms around her waist, and presses a kiss to her cheek. 'It's like you'. 

Alex laughs, and turns in her arms to link her hands behind Astra's neck. 'Oh?'

'Of course'. Astra's eyes are twinkling, and she leans in to press a kiss to her cheek. 'Beautiful, but deadly'. 

Alex smiles, her heart full and warm, in that way it so often is these days, and leans in to kiss her. 'Flatterer'. 

'Oh, I'm just brutally honest'. 

In retrospect, no one can really blame her for being too distracted to ask her why she's given her such a nice gift. 

* * *

A couple of days later, Alex enters her office to find Lucy sitting in her chair, peering through what looks like a microscope, though of a kind she's never seen before. 

‘What’s that you’ve got there?’

Lucy glances up, and grins. ‘It’s some kind of fancy supper powered microscope thing from Argo’. She perches on the edge of the desk, and waves her hand. ‘It’s yours’.

Alex blinks. ‘What?’

‘Another gift’. Lucy raises her eyebrows. ‘From Astra?’

Alex feels herself flush. She squirms, and then says sharply, ‘why’re you looking at my gift?’

Lucy shrugs. ‘I wanted to know what else she’d gotten you. I mean, flowers… a knife with a flower engraving...’ she grins. ‘Pretty dorky gifts, right?’

‘Well, they’re nice’.

‘Aww’, Lucy presses her hand to her heart. ‘That’s cute’. She nudges the microscope. ‘But this is really thoughtful, and right up your alley’. She smiles. ‘You guys are actually pretty cute’.

Alex grumbles, shifting a little uncomfortably, and then says, ‘well… she’s actually pretty romantic’.

Lucy grins. ‘I noticed’. She raises her eyebrows. ‘So, what are you going to get her?’

‘Err…’ Alex stares at Lucy blankly for a moment, and then says, ‘I… have to get her gifts?’

Lucy gives her a bemused look. ‘You’re kidding, right?’ She stands, moves closer, and presses her hands together in front of her chest, and tilts them forward so that her fingers are pointing at Alex. ‘Your girlfriend has been giving you very nice, very thoughtful gifts lately. It would be nice, probably, to give her some in return, don’t you think?’

‘Umm… that’s…. a good point’. Alex rubs the back of her neck. ‘I guess I was enjoying it too much to um, think about it’.

Lucy gives her an expectant look. ‘So? What are you going to get her?’

‘I…’ she opens and closes her mouth, and then says, ‘I… maybe flowers?’

Lucy looks faintly pained. ‘Yes, alright. Start with something small and sweet. Get her favourite flowers’.

‘And then what?’

Lucy rolls her eyes. ‘Okay, well, what about you try to match what she’s given you? So, flowers, then some kind of weapon - just not a sword, because that might be a bit insensitive, and then something tailored specifically to her tastes’.

‘Okay. Okay, I can do that’.

Lucy gives her a sympathetic look, and pats her shoulder. ‘You’ve got this, Alex. Its not like you can mess up gifts’.

* * *

It’s a little embarrassing to have to follow her friend’s advice, especially when it really is rather basic, but she can’t deny it’s a success. Astra’s face lights up when Alex presses a bouquet of stargazer lilies into her hands, and she swoops in, pining her back against the desk to kiss her thoroughly. 

Alex presses against her shoulder until Astra leans back, and grins. ‘I never knew you liked flowers so much’.

Astra smiles. She looks oddly emotional, setting the flowers down on Alex’s desk before she takes her face in her hands and kisses her again. ‘They’re from you’, she murmurs, ‘of course I like them’.

Alex winds her arms around her waist, and leans in to kiss her cheek. ‘Well, it’s the least I can do after all the things you gave me’. She smiles. ‘I really liked the microscope, by the way’.

Astra leans their foreheads together, and says, ‘so, I chose well?’

Alex chuckles. ‘I’d say you have pretty good taste’. She nudges her nose against Astra’s. ‘You chose me, after all’.

Astra sighs, a soft, content sound, and leans her head against Alex’s shoulder. ‘I did, didn’t I?’

Alex wraps her arms tight around Astra’s back, and glances at the clock. ‘What do you say we go have lunch somewhere nice?’

Astra presses her lips against Alex’s neck, and Alex shivers slightly. ‘I’d like that very much’.

Alex makes a mental note to thank Lucy later. And also to ask her opinion on the next gift. Her friend has a point - a sword might be a bit too much.

* * *

‘I have your second gift’.

Astra pauses, her fist coming to halt just before it smashes into one of the training dummies, and she spins on her heel with a look of surprise. ‘You do?’ She glances around, looking Alex up and down with a faint frown, and raises her eyebrows. ‘Where are you hiding it?’

Alex grins, and beckons. ‘You could come find it’.

Astra stares at her for a moment, and then her lips curve in a predatory smile. ‘Ah, I see. Are you wearing it?’

Alex feels her face heat, and she coughs. ’No. I mean, I couldn’t exactly walk around J’onn wearing a gift for you. He’d be traumatised’.

Astra seems to pout. ‘Oh well’, she says lightly, ‘so, where is it?’

Alex rolls her eyes, and pulls out a small cylinder from her pocket. She throws it across the small space, and Astra catches it deftly, looking down at it in surprise. ‘There you go’, Alex says brightly, ‘the most deadly weapon you’ll ever encounter’.

Astra stares down at it, her brows drawing together in puzzlement. ’Nth metal’, she says slowly, ‘is indeed very useful, though I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with this. Throw it at their heads?’ She looks thoughtful. ‘That could actually be quite effective’.

Alex laughs. ‘Press the groove on the side’.

Astra does just that, and the cylinder snaps open to become a long, metal staff. The surprise on Astra’s face would be a nice moment, if the end didn’t catch her in the chin and knock her onto her ass.

‘Oh my god’.

Astra holds up her hand, and uses the staff to push herself up. ‘Do not laugh’.

Alex presses a hand to her mouth to muffle her snigger, but Astra doesn’t seem to notice. She’s too busy examining the staff, turning it over in her hands, her eyebrows raised. She looks impressed. She shifts her stance, and twirls it around her body, moving with that grace and elegance she always has whenever she fights, and Alex feels heat pool low in her stomach.

‘Impressive’, Astra murmurs, her hair flying out behind her as she spins, ‘did you make this?’

Alex swallows, hoping Astra doesn’t notice the way she shifts. ‘Um, no. I designed it, but I had Lillian make it. She’s worked with Nth metal before’. She hesitates, and adds, ‘but… the runes were me’.

Astra stops, and holds the staff out flat in her hand. She blinks, her eyes widening in surprise as she stares down at the Kryptonian runes inscribed into the staff, and her lips part. ‘Oh’.

Alex watches her trace the runes with her lower lip caught between her teeth. She’d gotten Alura’s help with the House of Ze motto, even though she was almost sure she knew it by heart by now. It had to be perfect. Still, she hears herself say, a little anxiously, ‘I got it right, didn’t I? Ever Forward?’

There’s a blur, and Astra almost knocks her over in her haste to kiss her. Alex kisses her back, gripping onto her shoulder to keep her balance, and Astra’s voice sounds a little choked when she says, ‘it’s perfect’.

Alex breathes out a sigh of relief. ‘Good. I mean, you are basically a weapon yourself, so it’s not like you need it’.

‘No’, Astra steps back, smiling as she twirls the staff again, ‘but it will be a lot of fun’. She sniggers. ‘Imagine if you gave this to Kara’.

Alex frowns. ‘What do you mean?’

‘She’d be beating people over the head with hope’.

* * *

Alex gives Astra a portable red sun lamp as her third gift, which is received just as well, though perhaps with a little less enthusiasm than the staff. Indeed, Astra seems to become oddly distracted from that moment on. Alex often comes home to find her scribbling in her sketchbook, muttering under her breath, her brow pinched in concentration. Alex has no idea what she's up to, except that whatever it is, the woman stops it the moment she approaches. 

She has a suspicion that Astra is planning some sort of elaborate, romantic gift, which is both sweet but rather worrying, considering that she doubts she'll be able to match whatever it is. 

She's on the verge of pointing out that Astra really doesn't need to lavish her with so many gifts, as lovely as it is, when the woman appears in her office one day, holding a small brown paper bag in her hands. Any doubts she has about whether it is the final result of whatever Astra has been planning fade away when she sees how nervous Astra looks, and she gives her a soft, reassuring smile. 'Hey, babe'. 

Astra smiles. There's a faint tick in her jaw, and she's standing a little differently than usual. Alex wants to tell her not to be nervous, but its a little difficult when she doesn't know what's going on. Astra takes a deep breath, and says slowly, 'I'm sorry it took me so long. I wanted... to get it right'. 

Alex blinks. 'Okay?'

Astra passes her the paper bag, and steps back, clasping her hands in front of her, a stance she practically never takes up. Whatever is going on, its obviously extremely important to her. 

Alex unwraps the paper to reveal a bracelet. It’s made of rich, supple leather, about the width of her thumb. The clasp is solid and silver, but there’s a delicate chain of silver runes running along the leather, and Alex recognises her name in an instant. ‘Wow’, she breathes, ’this is… really nice’.

Astra lets out a shaky breath, and murmurs, ‘may I?’

Alex extends her hand, and Astra links the bracelet around her wrist. It’s a snug, perfect fit, and the leather is comfortable against her skin. Astra makes that soft, shaky sound again, and lifts Alex’s hand to kiss the inside of her palm. ‘It looks good on you’.

Alex stares at her. There’s a faint sheen of tears in her eyes, and Alex stands, cupping her cheek with her hand. ‘You okay?’

‘Of course’. Astra smiles, leans in to kiss her, and then steps back. She still looks a little misty eyed, but she also seems to be brimming with excitement. ‘I must tell Kara. I’ll be right back’.

Alex watches her go, unable to shake the feeling that she’s missed something very important.

She’s barely settled back into her work before there’s a blur out of the corner of her eye, and she’s being crushed in an embrace. ‘Astra just told me!’ Alex bats frantically at Alura’s arm until the woman lets her go, gasping for air. Alura spins her around in a circle, and her eyes are full of tears, her smile so bright that Alex feels blinded. ‘This is wonderful news!’

Alex stares at her, momentarily distracted from the woman’s crushing grip, and says, ‘what is?’

Alura laughs. ‘You’re getting married, of course!’

‘I… what?’

Alura sets her down, grasps her hand gently, and tilts it so that she can look at the bracelet. She beams again. ’She was right - the design really suits you’. The woman folds her hands in front of her, apparently completely oblivious to Alex’s bemusement, and gives her an expectant look. ‘So, any ideas on the one you’ll give her?’

Alex gapes, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish. She’s vaguely aware she must look like an idiot, and suddenly she remembers Kara telling her about… marriage bracelets. She stares, and then says, ‘what?’

Alura stares back. She must read something in Alex’s face, finally, because the colour suddenly drains from her face. ‘You are going to give her one’, she says, clearly aghast, ‘aren’t you?’

‘I’m…’

Alura covers her mouth with her hand. ‘But you love her! You participated in the courting period!’

‘The courting period?’

‘The gifts!’ Alura stands, wringing her hands anxiously, and begins to pace. ‘This is… I don’t understand, why not tell her when she started?’

Alex reaches out to grab Alura by the arms, her eyes wide as something like panic begins to fill her chest, and says, ‘I didn’t know she was proposing’.

Alura stares at her. Her mouth opens, and she says, ‘what?’

‘I didn’t know! I thought she was just giving me gifts!’

Alura looks flabbergasted. ‘But you gave her gifts in return! Of the same kind! As tradition dictates!’

‘Lucy said I should!’ Alex sounds a little like she’s wailing at this point. ‘Because it would be nice!’ She sits down heavily in her chair, and drops her head into her hands. ‘Oh my god, why didn’t Astra tell me what she was doing?’

‘That’s not how the courting process works!’ Alura, too, sounds a little hysterical now. ’She would’ve assumed you knew because of how much Kara has told you about us!’

Alex laughs, and it sounds a little off pitch. ‘Oh, of course!’ She groans, and drops her face into her hands again. ‘I can’t believe I got proposed to and didn’t even realise’.

Alura takes a long, slow breath, and says, ‘well… you didn’t know. So… so it… if you don’t give her one in return, that is understandable’.

Alex looks up at her, blinking in surprise. ‘What?’

Alura looks strained, but she rests her hand on Alex’s shoulder. ‘I’m just saying, if you don’t want to continue with the proposal, it would be understandable’.

It takes a moment for Alex to realise what Alura is saying. She has, for lack of a better word, a way out. A way of calling off the marriage, because she genuinely didn’t know it was happening.

She just has to explain to Astra that she didn’t know what was going on, and postpone, if she wants to.

She thinks of the shine in Astra’s eyes when she accepted the bracelet, the pleased way she smiled whenever Alex gave her gifts, how enthusiastically she kissed her, and how much she loves her.

She takes a deep breath, and glances up. ‘So. Any ideas on the bracelet I should give her?’

Alura stares at her for a moment, and her face lights up. ‘So…?’

‘It looks like I’m getting married’.

* * *

‘So, I have something for you’.

Astra rolls onto her side and props her head up on her elbow, a small smile curving her lips. ‘Oh?’

Alex places her hand on Astra’s bare arm, running her fingers up and down gently. She brushes the woman’s hair over her shoulder, and murmurs, ‘but first, I have something to confess’.

Astra raises her eyebrows slightly. ‘Go on’.

‘These past few weeks. The gift giving. The, um… courting process. They’ve been really nice’.

Astra smiles slightly. ‘I’m glad’.

‘But, um. I didn’t actually… know what was going on’.

Astra blinks. She licks her lips, and says, ‘what?’

‘I had absolutely zero idea you were proposing to me’. Astra gapes, and Alex forestalls her by reaching out to place a finger to her lips. ‘That being said, I…’ her throat constricts abruptly, and she has to swallow several times before she’s able to speak again. ‘I love you. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, and you make me… you make me so happy’.

Astra’s face softens. She reaches out to brush her fingers along Alex’s cheek, stroking her thumb over her lower lip. Alex presses a kiss to the pad of her thumb, and takes a deep breath. ‘So no, I didn’t realise you were proposing, but I… I’m really glad you did’. She reaches underneath her pillow to pull out the cloth pouch, and presses it into Astra’s hand. ‘And I would really love to marry you’. 

Astra's smile is so bright and beautiful that Alex feels her throat tighten, emotion surging up to overwhelm her. Astra leans in to kiss her softly, and her mouth is warm and welcoming. Alex sinks into the kiss with a happy sigh, curling her fingers in Astra's thick hair, and loses herself in kissing her. 

'I'm glad', Astra breathes, 'I... I love you. I love you so much, Alex, and I want...' 

'To marry me?' Alex smirks a little, mainly to distract them both from the fact that there are definitely tears in her eyes. She tilts her head to wipe her eye discreetly, and leans in to kiss Astra's cheek. 'I gathered'. 

Astra chuckles. Her thumb smooths over Alex's cheek, and she murmurs, 'yes'. 

Alex turns her head to kiss Astra's palm, and says, 'well, go on. Open it'. 

Astra kisses her cheek, and shifts her attention to the small bag. She opens the draw string, and eases the bracelet into her palm. Her eyes widen, and she holds it up to the light, her lips parting in something like awe. Alex shifts, biting her lip as she watches Astra's expression, and murmurs, 'I used Nth metal again - don't want you accidentally breaking it when you're out fighting'. 

'Did Lillian help?'

'No. It was all me, this time'. 

Astra stares at her. The lamplight reflects off the delicate silver chains, glows like trapped fire in the deep blue stones set at intervals along the chain, casting sparks of light into her eyes, like stars shining in the dark. She swallows, licks her lips, and whispers, 'it's beautiful'. 

Alex smiles, leans in to kiss her softly, and murmurs, 'it has to be made by the person proposing. I checked with Alura'. 

Astra chuckles, a low, affected sound, and says, 'so when did you work out what was going on?'

'When Alura congratulated me on my engagement'. 

Astra laughs, and Alex takes the bracelet from her to link it around her wrist. They lie there together, their fingers intertwined, bracelets glinting in the soft light, and Alex's heart feels so full she wonders if it might burst. Astra's eyes are soft and warm, and there's a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. 'Did you panic', she says softly, 'when you realised?'

Alex coughs. 'A little. But... it didn't take me long to realise it was exactly what I wanted'. Alex squeezes her hand tightly, and shuffles closer so that she can tuck herself against Astra's chest. Astra hums softly, and runs her free hand up and down her back slowly. Alex closes her eyes, presses a kiss to the woman's collarbone, and murmurs, 'how do you say it again? In Kryptonian?'

'Say what?'

'Wife?'

Astra lets out a soft, contented sigh, and squeezes her against her body. ' _Zrhemin_ '. 

Alex closes her eyes, and grins, the kind of grin that makes her cheeks ache, but she can't bring herself to care. She's in love, engaged, and happier than she's ever been. 

And Astra is going to be her wife. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> they're such idiots sometimes i cry about it anyway i hope u enjoyed this it was so much fun to write alex really is... a useless lesbian
> 
> i could've spent so much more time on this, but it would've gotten really out of hand, so this is a shorter, maybe sweeter version. Merry Christmas!


End file.
